Burson Marsteller acquires Communique PR

29 May, 2001

Burson-Marsteller today announced the acquisition of Communique PR, the highly respected independent public relations consultancy in Manchester, England. This is Burson-Marsteller’s first acquisition after becoming a part of WPP Group last fall, and will boost the firm’s ranking in the United Kingdom to sixth*, while significantly broadening its offering in brand communications.

Communique will become a stand-alone entity within Burson-Marsteller United Kingdom, reporting to Allan Biggar, chief executive of Burson-Marsteller United Kingdom.

“This new relationship is consistent with our growth and acquisition strategy. We are delighted to be able to partner with such a strong player in the U.K.” said Christopher Komisarjevsky, president and CEO of Burson-Marsteller Worldwide.

“We welcome our new colleagues and look forward to creating a strong relationship that will benefit each of our firms.”

“This acquisition will increase the choice, breadth and depth of our client offerings, and allow us to grow the business from an existing position of strength,” said Allan Biggar, chief executive of Burson-Marsteller United Kingdom. “The formidable commercial success Communique has achieved in the areas of guerrilla and experiential marketing, combined with the complementary set of sector experience, will fast track Burson-Marsteller’s growth in marketing. It will also add a new dynamic to the London agency.”

*PR Week annual league tables extrapolated from 2001

“I believe the agreement will help accelerate the consultancy’s growth. We gain instant advantages by joining forces with a world-class business such as Burson-Marsteller,” said Paul Carroll, Communique founder. “In particular, we can partner in areas such as strategic planning, staff development, best practices and new-business opportunities. We have been looking for a larger industry platform and Burson-Marsteller is a perfect fit for us.”

With a turnover of £2.8 million and 38% growth last year, Communique employs 35 staff. Carroll, together with his senior management team of Iain Leslie and Nathalie Bagnall, will continue to drive the business forward under the arrangements of the acquisition.